Buckboar bacon is:
Buckboard bacon differs from traditional American style bacon in that its meat source is typically pork butt, also sometimes referred to as Boston Butt, despite its name does not come from the pig’s butt. Polk butt is a section of the pig that comes from the top part of the shoulder from the front legs.
Additionally, buckboard bacon can be sourced from pork loin as well, which is located just behind the shoulder along the back of the pig. Other areas of the pig can be used to make buckboard bacon, but basically it means any area that is not pork belly, where it is cured and then smoked.
When the pork belly is not used, the buckboard bacon takes on several different characteristics:
Additionally, buckboard bacon can be sourced from pork loin as well, which is located just behind the shoulder along the back of the pig. Other areas of the pig can be used to make buckboard bacon, but basically it means any area that is not pork belly, where it is cured and then smoked.
When the pork belly is not used, the buckboard bacon takes on several different characteristics:
- There is less fat on buckboard bacon
- Less fat, means more meat and more texture
- With more meat, the shape of the bacon is typically not in a strip shape, but defined by the location of the mean, for example the pork loin sources buckboard bacon is shaped in thin round/oval shapes like the loin
- Depending on the cut of meat and feed for the pig, there is less fat marbling and a “meatier” bite/consistency of buckboard bacon over regular bacon
- Leaner meat means more attractive to dieters who still enjoy lots of flavor without the high fat/protein ratio
- Being sourced from thicker and meatier cuts of meat, one has the option to be very versatile with shapes and cut nice, thick, juicy rounds as a main entrée highlight
- Also being a leaner meat, buckboard bacon is like ham and needs a little help in the fat department in terms of frying- use butter or oil if you want to make it crispy!
Buckboard bacon in the US has been around since the earliest settlers in the country, when simply because the ideal cut of meat was not available or too expensive did not mean that the settlers would waste any part of the pig
Read more at: buckboard bacon
Making buckboard bacon
This is buckboard bacon, it is made from a pork butt instead of belly. It tastes kind of like a mix of bacon and a light ham flavor. It was darn good is what it was.
I took a 6 lb pork butt, cut out the bone and cut it in half. I used this as a cure: 1 lb of pickling salt, 8 oz sugar and 2 oz of pink salt/prague powder. (Thank you David the Gastronomic Gardener. ). I mixed this up and then sprinkled slightly more than a quarter cup all over the two pieces of meat and made sure to rub it into and cracks or grooves in the meat. It was then put in a Ziplock bag and put in the refrigerator. Read more at Make your own buckboard bacon
I took a 6 lb pork butt, cut out the bone and cut it in half. I used this as a cure: 1 lb of pickling salt, 8 oz sugar and 2 oz of pink salt/prague powder. (Thank you David the Gastronomic Gardener. ). I mixed this up and then sprinkled slightly more than a quarter cup all over the two pieces of meat and made sure to rub it into and cracks or grooves in the meat. It was then put in a Ziplock bag and put in the refrigerator. Read more at Make your own buckboard bacon
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